The English Premier League (EPL) is considered to be the best soccer league in the world. It attracts the best players from all around the world and is one of the top paymasters in club football worldwide. There has never been an American coach in the EPL, until now.

The former US Men’s National Team coach, Bob Bradley is taking over as the manager of EPL team Swansea City. An already tough just was just made harder. He is being handed the reins to the team mid-season after the current manager was fired for the team’s poor showing so far. They are currently at 17th place in a 20 team league. He believes he can get them out of the doldrums they are in:

“Maybe I’m stupid,” Bradley said. “But I think that I am a manager in and around that level.” When asked on a radio show earlier this year if he was up to the standards of the EPL managers. “I’m not saying I’m better than these guys,” Bradley added, referring to the likes of Pep Guardiola of Manchester City and Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool FC, considered two of the most highly rated soccer coaches in the world.

He coached at the US collegiate and professional levels and he led the United States to the 2010 World Cup, where his team did better than European powerhouses like England, France, and Italy. His first task is to keep Swansea City out of the bottom three of the league. The bottom three teams get relegated to the lower division each year.

Nothing about goalkeeping gear is particularly expensive, but as you get deeper into any hobby or sport there will be premium gear some players insist is worth the price tag. For new players, or players looking to elevate their game on a budget, it’s tempting to make some very expensive decisions. This brief guide aims to teach players of any skill level what areas might be worth investing more money into.

Clothing

Expect your team to supply a goalkeeper jersey for game days, but for practice days you may want to gear up with some additional clothing. It’s good to have more than one pair of shorts, and long pants can be an excellent practice garment to protect knees from scuffs. During a game, long pants should also be worn on turf if the league allows it.

Pads are another must, but some pairs of pants may have pads built into them. Goalkeeper gloves, along with additional pads on elbows and knees, are fine as long as they don’t impede movement. Avoid bulky and heavy gloves, even if they look like they’d improve your stopping ability. For gloves, you need enough padding to kill the momentum of the ball without stinging the palms or hyper extending the fingers. You may also want to get a tension grip for exercises too. Strong fingers make stops.

Cleats

Cleats are important because you need grip in order to improve your reactions and ultimately stop the ball from reaching the net. Keepers can afford to wear screw in studs because they don’t spend a lot of time running, where the studs may pop off. Molded cleats are usually ok for young players, or players who participate at a low level. Screw on studs provide the added traction high level players need to succeed.

It’s also a good idea to own more than one set of cleats, as you may find yourself playing on different surfaces as the season progresses.

Final Thoughts and Drills

Keepers can’t risk a loss of traction, and protection is prime. Using these two concepts, it should be fairly simple to hunt down quality equipment for your future soccer star.

As for practice, it depends highly on what gives you the most trouble. Keepers should drill for all kinds of situations: from breakaways to corner kicks and crosses. Goal keepers need a solid foundation for decision making. The greater variety in your drills, the better your decisions in the heat of a game.
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Coaches have multiple goals when it comes to training. They need to improve the fitness of their players and their skills. Fitness comes in many forms, there is speed, endurance, power etc. Which of these are developed depend on what the player needs and the requirements of the position. Here are a few ways to improve speed:

Running Mechanics

One way of improving speed when running is to make sure you are running properly. There are guides that can be found online that will help check form when running. Incorrect form and technique are very important. Getting the mechanics right can remove seconds from your 100m time.

Mobility

Once you work out any issues with your mechanics, then you can look other ways to improve speed. The next thing to try is mobility work. Mobility work is usually not needed for younger players but older players who spend most of the day seated can have their flexibility and mobility compromised. Weekly mobility work will go a long way to restoring that movement and allowing the player to make the most of his mechanics.

Strength

Strength training is another must for improving speed. Younger players can start with bodyweight squats as they might be too young to lift weights. Older players on the other hand can utilize the gym or weight room to build strength and muscle. This in turn will give them a power advantage and speed. Some examples would be Squats, Deadlifts and Kettlebell swings.

The defender’s main goal is to reduce penetration. This means preventing the attacker from either passing forward, dribbling to the goal or shooting. The best way to achieve this is by applying pressure and strategic positioning.

Priorities for a pressuring defender

The defender should prevent a pass before individual duel occurs. The defender should try to position themselves on the goal side of the attacker, so that there is visibility of the ball and the attacker.

Look to tackle the ball as the attacker makes their turn. If this was unsuccessful consider tackling the ball before confrontation occurs with the offensive player.

Make the attacker screen the ball when the ball is touched. Prevent the attacker from turning with the ball and facing the goal.

Look at facing the attacker halfway through their turn. Good defenders will know when an attacker has decided to turn.

Avoid leaning on your attacker. Some attackers will use this to spin and play the ball into the space left open by the defender.

Position the attacker into the least dangerous space. After the attacker has turned, guide him in the direction that you believe will cause the least damage.

You can then set your trap, by being applying the correct speed. Avoid closing down on an attacker’s space too quickly, as this may cause the offensive player to play the ball behind the defender. A move that is too slow, can give the attacker too much time to play.

Whenever you buy a soccer clothes related to a specific club or country team, you will come across two types. Authentic soccer jerseys and replica soccer jerseys. Please note that the replica indicated here are not referring to the cheap knock off available. Generally it can be hard to tell the difference between the authentic and replica jerseys, so here are the differences:

Replica soccer jerseys

When it comes to replica jerseys, they essentially identical to those worn by players on the field. The main difference is that they tend to have a slightly looser cut so it is more comfortable for the fan to wear. In addition, the materials and technologies used are probably different to keep costs down. The average fan will not need that fabric now will they need the performance characteristics.

Authentic soccer jerseys

These are identical to those worn by the players. They are the same material, cut and even the fit. They tend to have a polyester blend wicking fabric, just like the professional players wear. For example an authentic jersey will have the brand logo on the top left hand, while the replica will have the team logo. There will also be other small differences to keep the weight down and maintain comfort levels.

The choice, will depend on what you need in terms of a fan jersey. Just to spectate matches, at the stadium or even at the pub, the replica is fine. If there are any plans to actually play with the jersey, then the authentic is the way to go.

Hats off to the Irish Soccer fans for being so cool and friendly. While other country soccer fans made war at Euro 2016, the Irish made Love!

A friend told me he was sitting in the middle of 1000s of them in the streets and in the Irish side of the stadium today, wearing a Germany jersey. He had so much fun with them. He said: “They put the German fans to shame… So passionate yet respectful.”

Russian and English fans have been caught up in horrific scenes in Marseille before their opener at the city’s Stade Velodrome.

One might think in this day and age human beings have accomplished so much and evolved into intelligent beings, but these acts of senseless violence says otherwise. Truly a shame what these idiots did by beating beat up people and leaving them in pool of blood, and destroying the streets all because of their stupid soccer team.

Soccer fans are insane. This happens all the time. It’s beyond absurd. I think it’s just dumb and stupid! Why destroying property and beating people up to death?? Bunch of idiots. It’s just a damn sport/game. Douchebag hooligans!

For the most part, soccer can be one of the more affordable sports to play. In fact, that’s one of the many reasons it’s the world’s most popular pastime. But whether you’re buying a soccer warm up or are in the market for some new soccer t-shirts, there are a couple of ways to save even more money. In today’s economy, that’s always a welcomed option.

First, always shop online. You’ll almost always receive a better deal from a website than you will from a physical store. Websites have far less overheard and can therefore pass the savings on to you, the customer. If you’re purchasing soccer cleats, be sure to try them on at a local retailer first, to be sure you know your size in that particular brand.

Second, do your best to purchase in bulk. This is especially easy if you coordinate your purchase with the rest of your team. Just like shopping online, buying in bulk is almost always guaranteed to save you money. While some stores will be upfront about savings they can offer you for spending a certain amount, other retailers will need to be contacted and asked about the kinds of bargains they can offer.

Soccer’s a great sport that’s relatively cheaper than a lot of the other options out there. However, if you’re looking to save even more money on your purchase, consider buying in bulk online.

Article written by Soccer Garage. Whether you’re looking for soccer uniforms, shoes, or other equipment, you’ll find all that and more at their online store.

Running on the treadmill, or exercising in a cross trainer, or in a stationary bike can be very boring because it’s repetitive. If you want to find an alternative exercise that will keep you running for an extended period of time without having to feel bored. And when it comes to a sport that requires you to keep running, there’s no better sport than soccer. All you need to play soccer is some shoes to keep you from slipping on the pitch. You can find it in any soccer shop or department store. And if you’re playing soccer to work out or as a recreational activity, you wouldn’t even need to put on a soccer uniform as any recreational clothes will do.

It an ideal alternative for a cardio workout because you get to play with other people and interact with them. It brings a level of fun and entertainment into the equation that it absent when working out in a cross trainer or treadmill all by your self. What this means is that you will be able to run farther and play longer without getting exhausted about the though of doing something repetitive and monotonous. If you like playing soccer, then this is definitely the perfect alternative cardio workout for you. You can do it once a week or as often as you like, just make sure that you get enough rest for your knees and joints to recover from all that strenuous activity. Make sure to do some stretching as well.

You can shop for everything that you need including soccer bags, equipment, gear, apparel, and even accessories so you will have everything you need when you’re on and off the pitch.